The present invention generally relates to a self-disinfecting capping device, and more specifically, to a capping device for disinfecting a medical container.
Most medications for intravenous use are kept in either plastic or glass vials. After removing a protective plastic cap, a rubber membrane (also known as a septum) is penetrated with a sterile needle in order to draw medication into the syringe in an aseptic manner. In order to keep the rubber septum disinfected and prevent contamination of the vial, medical professionals ordinarily wipe the rubber septum with a pad containing a disinfecting agent. When faced with time constraints or stressful situations, only the most diligent specialists do so every time the medication is drawn. Medication vials can be made for a single or multiple uses. Sometimes during a surgery a medical provider has to repeatedly draw the medication from the same vial within an hour. Between these drawings, the vial having a punctured rubber septum may be exposed to various items containing blood or body fluids. This creates an opportunity for introduction of bloodstream infections if aseptic techniques are not strictly followed.
It is a custom for a medical professional to always use a new, sterile syringe and a new, sterile needle to access multi dose vials. However, even when they do so, it is still possible to introduce an infection if the rubber septum is contaminated. Occasionally, under pressure and stress, providers may utilize the same needle and the same syringe, which may be contaminated with blood or bacteria. In other situations, a needle may be left inside the rubber septum for future use. This practice causes vial contamination and may introduce bacteria into the bloodstream.
While it is not recommended to use the same needle and syringe to enter more than one medication vial because of the risks described above, there are circumstances where medication needs to be drawn more than once by the same syringe and needle (e.g., when reconstituting medications or vaccines).
Thus, there remains a need for a convenient and reliable disinfecting device that would allow medical professionals to carry out multiple drawings from the same container with 100% antiseptic techniques compliance.